Scum: Clued Up

Scum: Main Page --> Scum: Fings to Do --> Scum: Clued Up

"Ohmigod! Tracey, have you heard? Darryl's been killed!"

"Well, no sh*t, Cheryl."

"I reckon it was Reverend Green, in the Billiard Rooms, with the Candlestick."

"You dumb bint! It weren't Reverend Green, it were us here! We all kicked Darryl's head in, on that car park over there and then stuck him some with our knives!"

"Oh yeah, I fer-got. Why'd we do that then?"

"Because he let on that he was dealing scag, and had made ten grand, and was going to Ibiza with it, and we wanted his money, that's why!"

"Oh yeah, I fer-got that too. So why ain't we in Ibiza now?"

"Cos he didn't have the money on him, you stupid cow! Ain't you been listening? Now we gotta search round his local haunts and see where he hid it. You are so fick! I ought to stab you too!"

"Don't hurt me, Trace, I'm preggers!"

Overview

This scenario covers a twelve hour time period from 6pm to 6am. It starts in a nameless multistorey car park with the murderous Scum (aka the Players) stood around Darryl's dead body.

A few minutes earlier, Darryl was bragging that he had been dealing scag (heroin) and had made "loadsa moolah, like ten grand" (£10,000). He was boasting that with the money he'd be "leaving this dump and going to Ibiza to large it up" (translation: he was going to go to the famous holiday resorts in Ibiza in order to spend his fortune on drink, drugs and women.)

Unsurprisingly, his "friends" decided that they'd kill him and take the money for themselves. This is where the game begins.

As may be fairly obvious, the inspiration for this scenario is the board game Cluedo, though the up-front twist is that everybody knows how the murder took place - the goal is actually finding the money!

This ties us back to the piratical themes of the Scum game as well:

• This is a treasure hunt in the classic sense, with an X-marks the spot map, and buried loot in a hidden location.
• The "Hall" represents safe port - the tower block where Scum can go home, lock their doors, and hide from the world.
• The "Black Spot" is the same as the Loot - once you're carrying the loot, there's no safe haven, there's no place to hide! Are you scared yet?
• The story naturally starts with a "mutiny". The deceased Darryl is as close as we'll get to a pirate captain, and his death leaves a power struggle in the ranks!

Scenario Structure

The game starts at 6pm, and runs up to 6am the next day. As with all Scum games, it moves forward in half hour increments.

When the game begins, they players are at a nameless mult-istorey car park, not significant in any way save that this is where the dead Darryl is. Once the game begins, they'll have no reason to return here.

After initial roleplaying, each player can decide which location his Scum is headed to next. When they arrive, the game proper begins - it is six in the evening, and the search for the loot can begin.

The game ends at 6am - that is the last half hour of the game begins at 5:30 am.

Scenario Goal

The goal of the Scenario is to find the ten thousand pounds, and then successfully leave the estate. At 6am the Scenario ends - its presumed that with dawn light the police swoop into the estate in force, and round up all the usual suspects (who are the player characters, obviously). If no-one makes it out with the cash by 6am, then no-one wins!

Finding The Dosh

To find the money, a player character must first accumulate six different CLUES. He can do this in several ways:

• "Interviewing" an NPC.

Each NPC can potentially give up a clue on a successful attribute test against them, as detailed in the NPC section below. Interviewing an NPC is a standard half-hour action, and can be roleplayed out in part with the GM.

• Searching a Location.

Some of the locations can potentially give up a clue if searched, as detailed in the location sections below. Searching is a half-hour action that requires a successful Sneaky Bastard attribute test.

• Taking clues off other Scum.

With a successful and appropriate attribute test a player character can force another player character to give up a clue to them. Generally, the targeted Scum doesn't lose the Clue, but instead a copy of that clue is gained. The GM can rule on what sort of actions might or might not work, but might include such things as seducing the target, getting them drunk, beating information out of them or bribing them for information. Note that we don't worry about false clues and cunning deceptions - let's assume that Scum are too straightforward for intrigues of this level!

As soon as a Scum has six different clues, they are assumed to know exactly where the cash is stashed. The GM can pass them a secret note (a specific exception to the normal rule that there are no secrets in Scum), and they can then head to that location. When they get there, they automatically retrieve the £10,000.

If two or more Scum reach six clues at the same time, then they both arrive at the same location at the same time. A series of quick attribute tests (improvised by the GM, based on the player characters' actions) can then be used to determine who gets to take the money!

More ambitious GMs might want to have the clues be actual clues, rather than a conceptual score to track. In this case, they will need to prep a mass of information which can then be secretly handed to players in pieces when they achieve various clues. In this circumstance, there is no absolute number of clues to discover the stash - instead players have to work from their own deductive reasoning skills! This approach, however, is not the default, as it changes the nature of the game and is probably too cerebral for a game of Scum, as well as raising issues about dealing with player character death and the like.

GMs are encouraged to have the money hidden in a special location above and beyond the ones below, so that player characters who haven't acquired all the clues they need can't conveniently "turn up" fortuitiously at the right location.

Staying Alive with Ten Grand

As soon as a player character acquires the cash, it becomes common knowledge that they have it. Several special rules now apply to them:

• First, everyone immediately has a justifiable reason to murder them. No attribute tests are needed to self-justify murder of the money carrier!
• Second, the money-carrying Scum is at +3 to all dice rolls for sneaking. Everyone is talking about them and looking for them, and there's no way they can move through the estate without everyone knowing where they are.
• Third, the money-carrying Scum is at +3 to all dice rolls for avoidance strategies. Its suddenly much harder for them to convince people not to kill them, given that they have all that cash on them!
• Fourth, all Nutter checks to murder the money-carrying Scum have -3 to the dice roll. Its easier to find the guts to killing someone when you know there's a ten grand prize!

On the other hand, there are a couple of benefits too:

• The Scum's Shrapnel rating becomes 10, and is set to 10 for as long as he is carrying the money. It can't be reduced in any way.
• The Scum can potentially win the game.

Escaping the Estate

To escape the estate with the cash (and thus win the game), the Scum can board a bus, drive out in a car or call a taxi.

Escaping by Bus

The Scum must be at a location that is listed as having a bus stop.

Then he has to get on the bus! This is easy enough, unless anyone else is present. Any other Scum present can take a quick action make either a Nutter check to physically stop him from boarding the bus or a "I'll Cut Ya!" check to scare off the bus driver.

If the Scum successfully boards the bus he exits the area and wins the game.

Driving out in a car

Unless the Scum has the racer trait he doesn't star the game with a car.

Stealing a car is a slow action, needing two consecutive half hour actions. First, the Scum must pass a Sneaky Bastard check to locate a car that he can break into unseen by camera and passers-by - this must be done at a location with a Car Park. Second, he must hot wire the car - another Sneaky Bastard check.

Note that any other Scum can take his car off him with the usual standard actions - beating him up, seducing him, intimidating him, etc. Also, of course, Scum can render a car undriveable with a quick action that requires no roll - for example by slashing the tyres.

If the Scum has a car at the time he has the money, he drives out of the estate and wins the game.

Calling a Taxi

To call a taxi, the scum must specify a location. The taxi will arrive at that location in half an hour's time.

If the scum is at that location in half an hour's time, then he can get aboard the taxi and be driven out of the estate.

Any other Scum present can take a quick action make either a Nutter check to physically stop him from boarding the taxi or a "I'll Cut Ya!" check to scare off the taxi driver.

Location Traits

Services: These are suggestions as to things the Scum can do at this location.

Opening Hours: The Services are only available during opening hours. Outside of these times, Scum can still visit these locations but are presumed to be hanging around outside rather than being in the building.

NPCs: The significant NPCs listed hang around these locations. Note that the GM can describe other NPCs present.

Clue - This location can be searched once for a Clue. Once that clue is found, it loses its clue status.

Bus Stop - This location has a bus stop at it. This is relevant only for escaping the area.

Car Park - This area has parked cars in it.

Public - If any Scum or NPC is hospitalised at this location, then the police are called in. That location becomes out of bounds for the rest of the night.

Locations

The Hall

• Services: Safe House (see below)
• Opening Hours: Always open.
• Other traits: Clue.

The "Hall" is a forty-storey concrete tower block built in the 1970s... a true blot on the landscape that stinks of urine and vomit, and is decorated with the illegible graffiti of thirty plus years of Scum scrawlings.

It is also where all the Scum live - each of them will have a mum (and more rarely a dad) that has a flat, and they can go into the flat and lock the door behind them to keep the world outside.

While at this location, any Scum can choose to avoid all interaction with other Scum.

The Library

• Services: A shop, where cigarettes, rislas, porn, DVDs, PS2 games and alcohol can be bought.
• Opening Hours: Always open.
• Other traits: Public.
• NPCs: "Colonel Mustard"

Mr. Patel's corner shop is open twenty-four hours a day, and he'll sell anything to anyone. Though he feels that the Scum are "bad children" he'll never turn away anyone with money in their pocket.

Though the corner shop is called "Patel's Paradise", there's a handwritten sign above the magazine rack that says "This is Not a Bloody Library!" (to discourage the "stand-and-browse" phenomenon), so the Scum have started calling the place "The Library".

Note that "Colonel Mustard" is not Mr. Patel himself (who has very little to say to Scum except "50 pence please") but rather an old perv in a mustard-coloured trenchcoat, who is always lurking near the magazines section, flicking through the porn.

The Billiard Room

• Services: A bar which sells alcohol. Pool and snooker tables. Drug dealer.
• Opening Hours: 7pm - 2am.
• Other traits: Public.
• NPCs: Reverend Green.

There are a couple of billiards tables, but they've been shoved into the corner of this run down club, and the place is normally full of chavs playing on the pool and snooker tables. Though ostensibly "members only", the aging proprieter will let anyone in as long as they don't make a fuss.

A notable fellow who frequents the Billiard Room is the self proclaimed "priest of weed" Reverend Green. A schizophrenic who believes that god is talking to him, he can generally be found in the corner dealing weed. The owners of the club do nothing about this, as last time they tried to kick him out he kicked off...

The Ballroom

• Services: Nightclub, alcohol, drug dealers, sex.
• Opening Hours: 10pm to 6am.
• Other traits: Public, Bus Stop, Car park.
• NPC: Miss Scarlett.

Famous for its cheesy music, free entry, cheap booze and numerous drug dealers, the Ballroom is pretty much a perfect nightclub for the Scum generation.

If they can't pull here, then there's other options too. Miss Scarlett works the streets just outside, and she'll do you a quickie, a hand job or a suck for discount prices. She's not even bad-looking, albeit in a "used" kind of way.

The Kitchen

• Services: Kebabs and burgers aplenty. Chips. Weapons.
• Opening Hours: 6pm to 6am.
• Other traits: Clue.

Just off a roundabout on the edge of the estate is a burger and kebab van run by a pair of Turkish immigrants. They sell food, but also sell the local scum imported knives, knuckledusters and other weaponry. While in the open, this can't really be considered a "public" location, as the owners of the van are keen to keep the police away, and will happily "dispose" of any bodies. Hint: Don't order the chicken kebab.

The Dining Room

• Services: Sells "food". No alcohol.
• Opening Hours: 8am - 1am.
• Other traits: Public.
• NPCs: Mrs. Peacock

Flirting with copyright infringement, the Macdoneld's Dining Room sells "Jolly Meals" and "Large Macs with Fries", but with the levels of hygeine that you'd associate with the area. Its a favourite hang out for Scum, as nobody cares if you sit there till closing time.

Mrs. Peacock, an elderly Jamaican lady in her 50s, works as a cleaner here and has a soft spot for the "sweet little boys and girls" apparently oblivious to what the Scum are really like. There's a rumour that she used to give oral to Darryl in exchange for scag.